Beyond the Chechen, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, Georgia conflict, Putin could be looking at the fact that Turkey with probable U.S. approval has blocked the Bosporus hindering Russia’s efforts to get oil to market. Russia needs to get oil to market. The school siege was another convenient attack by Chechens most probably backed by Bush. It was timed to postpone Putin’s trip to Turkey and discussion of the Trans-Thracian pipeline which it did much to the delight of the United States. One should note the preceding airliner explosions coincided with Putin’s Sochi meeting with President Jacques Chirac of France and Chancellor Gerhard Schröder of Germany, another event the United States did not want to take place.
Russian project for oil pipeline via Turkey Now Russia is keen on a Trans-Thracian pipeline, which would allow its oil to reach the Mediterranean from the Black Sea without passing through the congested Bosporus. Oil traffic through the strait has risen by 30% to about 2.8 million barrels per day in the past two years, mainly from the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk. This figure will increase as exports to the Black Sea via the Caspian pipeline from Kazakhstan are set to grow to 67 million tons per year.
Increasing traffic through the strait has been a bone of contention between Russia and Turkey for many years. The Trans-Thracian pipeline, from Turkey's western Black Sea coast, 193 kilometers south to Ibrikbaba on Turkey's Aegean coast, would ease the bottleneck in the strait. The proposed pipeline could transport about 60 million tons per year directly to the Mediterranean. #msg-3903474 #msg-3953878
How happy can Russia and China be with Bush’s proposed missile deployment? Can’t these missiles supposed for Iran be turned also against Russia or China? Bush is way out of line. The world has virtually rejected him and watches in horror as the oblivious U.S. population who rarely looks beyond their own neighborhood will probably vote him a second term starting in earnest World War III. When the world so overwhelmingly tells you something is wrong with your leader, as tough as it is to gather the courage to consider their objections one morally has no choice. The pathetically programmed U.S. voters are not capable of such bravery. #msg-4007221
WASHINGTON, Sept 5 (AFP) - A key component of national missile defense, whose development is receiving priority this year, is likely to strategically tie the United States to Iraq, Afghanistan and some of the authoritarian former Soviet republics, requiring permanent US military bases there, according to officials and scientists involved in the project. #msg-3972175
How can China who has said they will “stand shoulder to shoulder with Russia’ let Bush deploy missiles that could be turned on them when they require Caspian reserves?
Energy resources in Central Asia are definitely strategically crucial to China, against the backdrop of the currently high international oil price," stressed He.
"The US, having a larger say in the Middle East region, and Russia, which abandoned the Angarsk-Daqing pipeline project, are both forcing China to seek a breakthrough elsewhere in its oil supply strategy," he noted
China's need to diversify its oil supplies and reduce its reliance on Malacca Strait, through which 60% of China's oil import shipments pass, could require a stronger presence in Central Asia, he continued.
Some Central Asian countries abut the Caspian Sea, where the volume of oil resources is estimated to be second only to the Gulf Region. At the same time, Central Asian countries are trying to attract investors to develop their resources, giving China an opportunity. #msg-4005335
People have no concept of how dark the horizon has become, they focus only on terrorism which is but one aspect of Unrestricted Warfare and look for WMD’s.
I don’t think Russia and China have much choice as far as timing and the Black Sea is crucial to Russia.
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